Lexington County, South Carolina
Farms, crops and livestock in the 2022 Census of Agriculture
822 farms79,450 acres in farms$332 million in farm sales
No other county in South Carolina with a published figure has more broilers sold than Lexington County.
Its largest product group with a published figure, poultry and eggs, makes up 76.4% of farm sales, against 56.6% across South Carolina.
Sales by product group
| Product group | Sales | Rank in state |
|---|---|---|
| Poultry and eggs | $253 million | 2nd of 41 |
| Nursery, greenhouse and floriculture crops | $9.3 million | 6th of 34 |
| Grains, oilseeds, dry beans and dry peas | $4.5 million | 23rd of 38 |
| Hay and other crops | $3.6 million | 14th of 43 |
| Cotton and cottonseed | $3.3 million | 19th of 26 |
| Other animals and animal products | $417,000 | 2nd of 28 |
| Sheep, goats, wool, mohair and goat milk | $276,000 | 2nd of 31 |
| Horses, ponies, mules, burros and donkeys | $112,000 | 24th of 37 |
| Christmas trees and short-rotation woody crops | $104,000 | 3rd of 11 |
What the fields held
Lexington County harvested 29,555 acres of cropland in 2022, 20th of 46 counties in South Carolina. Hay and haylage covered acreage equal to 31% of that, cotton 15%.
| Crop | Acres | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Hay and haylage | 9,189 | under 0.1% |
| Cotton | 4,457 | 0.06% |
| Corn for grain | 3,520 | under 0.1% |
| Soybeans | 2,331 | under 0.1% |
| Orchard land | 356 | under 0.1% |
| of which grapes | 15 | under 0.1% |
| of which apples | 4 | under 0.1% |
| of which pecans | 311 | 0.05% |
| Berries | 100 | under 0.1% |
Withheld to protect individual farms: wheat, peanuts, vegetables and citrus.
How much of the county is farmland
Share of the county land in farms17.8%
Lexington County ranks 33rd of 46 counties in South Carolina on this measure.
- 37,161 acres of cropland, 47% of farmland
- 10,378 acres of pastureland, 13% of farmland
- 26,279 acres of woodland, 33% of farmland
- 11,500 acres irrigated
Farm sizes
The typical farm in Lexington County is smaller than the national median of 72 acres, at 37 acres. The average, pulled up by the largest operations, is 97 acres, 42nd-largest of 46 in South Carolina. The most common size class is 10–49 acres, with 45.5% of farms. Fewer than 1% of farms have 1,000 acres or more.
Barns, pens and pastures
| Animals | Head | Share of US |
|---|---|---|
| Broilers sold in 2022 | 37,755,139 | 0.41% |
| Goats | 3,024 | 0.12% |
| Horses and ponies | 983 | under 0.1% |
| Beef cows | 3,014 | under 0.1% |
| Cattle and calves | 4,921 | under 0.1% |
| Sheep and lambs | 223 | under 0.1% |
| Hogs and pigs | 596 | under 0.1% |
| Turkeys | 22 | under 0.1% |
Withheld: laying hens.
Who farms here
Decisions on Lexington County's 822 farms are made by 1,451 producers. Their average age is 58.7, 0.2 years below the South Carolina average. Women are 40.0% of them.
Five years earlier
| Measure | 2017 | Change to 2022 |
|---|---|---|
| Farms | 1,137 | −27.7% |
| Land in farms, acres | 102,585 | −22.6% |
| Average farm size, acres | 90 | +7.8% |
| Farm products sold (current dollars) | $222 million | +49.3% |
| Broilers sold, head | 35,050,016 | +7.7% |
| Goats, head | 2,348 | +28.8% |
| Cotton, acres | 1,595 | +100% |
| Horses and ponies, head | 2,175 | −54.8% |
Nearest rivals
- Broilers sold between McDonald County, MO and Marion County, AL
- Goats between Coleman County, TX and Rogers County, OK
- Cotton between Scotland County, NC and Washington County, GA
- Pecans between Pearl River County, MS and Atkinson County, GA
Counties with a similar sales mix
- Randolph County, Alabama largest group: poultry and eggs; mix match 99%
- Hart County, Georgia largest group: poultry and eggs; mix match 99%
- Murray County, Georgia largest group: poultry and eggs; mix match 99%
Lexington County accounts for 7.5% of farm sales in South Carolina and 3.6% of the farms in South Carolina. Rank South Carolina counties for broilers sold.
Source: USDA NASS Census of Agriculture. How to read these pages.